INTELLIGENCE 91 



3. To all who ride to meet with the hounds. — 

 Take especial care not to ride over them ; take 

 care of their precious feet. Do not talk to the 

 huntsman or whipper. 



4. When at the covert-side. — Huntsman, keep 

 an eye on your hounds, Whipper, take care that 

 they do not stray. Allow a few minutes of indulg- 

 ence to any good or influential sporting character, 

 whose horse may be at the meeting-place ; then 

 clap them into covert with the wind in their 

 faces. 



5. When drawing a covert. — Huntsman, do not 

 rate a young one, until you are quite sure he is 

 wrong. I have known a young hound find a fox 

 before now, and have heard him rated : that's wrong 

 — young hounds have better noses than old ones : 

 that's canine nature. 



6. Lords, Gentlemen, and Yeomen. — When the 

 hounds are drawing a covert, keep together in one 

 place : do not talk, do not laugh ; above all things, 

 aristocrats, democrats, whigs, radicals, tories, for 

 heaven's sake do not whistle ; that whistling creates 

 bitter confusion : it is a simple thing to do, and 

 shows a want of thought. When you hear a hound 

 challenge, do not sing out, " huic, huic ! " which is 

 your custom. If you think the huntsman does not 

 hear the challenge, go quietly and quickly to him, 

 and tell him ; then allow him to cheer the challenger : 

 do not add your voices ; the hounds would rather 

 hear their comrade-quadruped than their comrade- 

 biped. Silence, they (the hounds) join chorus : he 



